Perks of Being A Businessman
by fuchsia.stoplight
Summary: Peter Parker has it tough. He lost his parents, he lost his aunt and uncle, and he wasn't about to lose his new best friend Harry Osborn. But when you're part of a dominated species, people tend to step on your tail and life gets a little more difficult. (NEKO PETER/HUMAN HARRY, NOT SPIDERMAN UNIVERSE)
1. Day 1

**PLEASE READ!**

**Hello all! This is my second neko-based fanfic, this time featuring the lovely Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and Harry Osborn (Dane Dehaan). This story does NOT take place in the Spiderman Universe- that is, neither Spider-man nor the Green Goblin will come into play. Peter is a neko, a half-cat, half-human being with cat ears, tail, abilities, ect. Harry, like canon, is the young CEO of Oscorp. This fic will be Harry/Peter. I do not own anything marvel or (sadly) the actors involved. I hope you guys enjoy! Rate and review, let me know if you like it!**

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Day 1

Harry Osborn sat in the black suede swivel chair in front of a large glass desk towering full of paperwork and manilla folders. He rested his elbows on the edge of the glass and stared down at his reflection instead of the increasing mound of work that he knew he would need to face eventually.

The truth was, being CEO of a multi-billion dollar company at the age of twenty could take a huge toll on one's mental and physical capabilities. Harry often found himself in this same situation, leaning over his desk and rubbing his temples because he was unable to concentrate on the unbelievable amount of tasks he had to accomplish. Sometimes he would stand and pace the large empty room or stare out the ceiling-to-floor glass windows at the endless horizon of New York skyscrapers. Sometimes he sipped a glass of rich wine, even though he was under the legal drinking age. No one was going to question the young prodigy's actions, whether it be out of fear of being fired or out of sympathy for the young man's loss.

Norman Osborn, the original founder of Oscorp Industries, had recently passed away due to a chronic virus that spiraled out of control. Only in his early sixties, Osborn had been a huge loss to the world for his vast knowledge and contributions to the medical science field. With no wife, his son was the only successor to his estate.

The only problem was that Norman Osborn hadn't spoken to his son in over ten years.

Harry was a smart individual, there was no doubt about it. The several years he spent in private boarding academies assured that. But being intelligent and running a company such as Oscorp were completely different things, and the young CEO had no idea how to handle the responsibilities he had been signed over. Moreover, Harry felt incredibly alone.

The clock on the wall chimed several times, reminding him that it was three hours past closing time and he could leave when he pleased. He glanced over the papers once more before pushing himself away from the desk loudly and standing up.

There was no use going home tonight. It was even more empty there, at the mansion that had been passed down from father to son. The bedrooms, although fully furnished, felt too fake and uncomfortable for him to sleep in. The couch in his office felt more welcoming, so that was where he was headed.

After turning off the lights, Harry used the dim lights of New York City to guide him to the sofa. He sunk down onto the cushions, resting his head on the flat decorative pillow and admiring the view of the city through his large windows.

He laid there for hours, unable to shut his eyes for more than a few minutes. _Fucking insomnia, _he thought to himself as he rolled onto his opposite side for the fifteenth time. At last he sat up and grabbed his jacket off the back of the couch. _Maybe a walk around the block will help wear me out. _

Harry slipped on his boots and headed out the door empty handed; after all, there was no need for a key when the entire building was programmed to his handprint. The autumn night air was brisk against his skin and he could see his breath puffing out in front of his lips as if he was smoking a tasteless cigarette. It was bitter and he began to walk quickly in order to keep himself warmed up.

New York wasn't silent, even in the dead of night. There were occasional cars roaring past him and disappearing into the distance. A few stray men lingered outside of buildings, smoking cigars and having quiet conversations with each other. Harry heard a few words out of context, but everything seemed to brush past him in the wind. The only sound he could focus on was his own uneven breathing out of his mouth.

"Help! Help!" A tiny and frantic voice broke him from his thoughts. Harry turned on his heels. One of the men he had noticed earlier was furiously swinging his leg against a kid who had toppled down into the street. Even in the shadows, Harry could clearly see the set of feline ears atop his head and the furry tail that poked out from beneath the hem of his shirt. It was a neko.

Nekos weren't exactly common sights in New York City. The half-cat, half-human beings were artificially created in laboratories across the country and sold for exuberant prices to rich buyers who used them for housework or sexual fetishes. They were sold on the black market and often kept out of public eye. Nekos were many times treated like animals, pets, or less.

It was also unusual to see stray nekos being attacked on the streets. Harry had never witnessed such thing before, and he was unable to keep himself from staring. The boy was young and by the sound of his cries, he was in terrible condition.

"Help me, please!" The neko boy shouted in his general direction. The young Osborn clenched his fists, contemplating his actions. He was a businessman, and it was none of his business whether or not this neko got assaulted. Still, he couldn't bring himself to walk away. He could hear the squeals of pain from the boy's mouth every time the man's boot collided with his torso.

Finally, Harry decided to intervene. Pushing up the sleeves of his jacket, he swiftly approached the pair of men and grabbed one of them by the front of his ratty shirt, yanking him away from the boy. The other man swung a fist at him, but Harry was too quick. He ducked down and slammed his knee into the man's crotch, sending him stumbling backwards with a yowl of pain. When the first man lunged at him, Harry stepped aside and revealed the brick wall behind him. The man, having hit his head, collapsed in a mound against the wall looking very unconscious.

With only a sharp glance of his piercing blue eyes, the man left standing turned and shuffled off in the other direction. Harry leaned down next to the boy.

"That was amazing..." The neko mumbled quietly, starting to sit up on the pavement. Harry set his hand beneath the boy's head, feeling his fingers become sticky with blood. Beyond that, the boy could hardly move further than a sitting position.

"Not really." The young Osborn said curtly, taking away his hand and starting to pull off his jacket. "They were both drunk. What's your name, kid?" He struggled out of his jacket, feeling the New York air biting his bare arms.

"P-Peter." The neko mumbled again, this time a little softer.

"Listen to me, Peter. You need to go to the hospital. Do you have a mother or something? Someone I could call?"

The boy shook his head, and Harry wasn't surprised. When he thought of nekos, he didn't think of them living in cozy little homes with their families. Then again, he had never seen one in person before.

"You stay awake, you hear me?" Harry demanded, wrapping his jacket around the boy and zipping it up, even though it was much too large for his tiny frame. "My name is Harry Osborn. I'm going to get you some help."

The hospital was a good four mile walk from where they were. Oscorp was much closer and even without certified doctors, the boy had a much better chance of surviving if they went back to the scientific medical research facility.

The neko boy was light and easy to lift into his arms. Harry adjusted him so that he could rest his head against his shoulder, letting the blood soak into the fabric of his beige t-shirt. As he walked down the sidewalk, he heard the boy sigh gently into his collarbone.

"Talk to me, Peter." Harry said, determined to keep the boy awake. "What do you remember?"

"I was taking a walk…" the neko groaned, scrunching up his face in discomfort. "I couldn't sleep." His response sent shivers down Harry Osborn's spine.

"Did you know those men?"

"No."

"What hurts?"

"A lot."

"Well hang in there." Harry adjusted the boy again and continued speed-walking down the street.

"Are we going to the hospital?" Peter inquired, tightening his small hands in the front of the young man's shirt.

"Sort of." Harry answered, seeing the entrance to Oscorp at the end of the sidewalk. "We're going somewhere better."

Harry balanced the neko boy in one arm and pressed the palm of his hand against the scanner mounted on the wall. It beeped loudly and the back door slid open smoothly. A female automated voice greeted him: "Access granted. Hello Mr. Osborn".

"Where are we?" Harry felt the tip of Peter's furry cat ear twitch against his jaw. The young Osborn didn't answer. Instead, he carried the neko into the elevator and set him on his feet, making sure he was balanced before letting him go.

"What floor, please?" The same female voice echoed out of a speaker on the wall.

"Ninety-four." Harry commanded.

"Thank you." The elevator began to rise with a quiet hum. Harry glanced down at his newly acquired companion, who was staring back up at him with the biggest doe eyes he had ever seen in his life. In the light of the elevator, he could clearly make out the boy's face. His bottom lip was split down the center and had bubbled over with dark blood. There were hints of faded bruises around his eyes and his hair stuck out in several messy directions between the two brown cat ears on top of his head. Harry smiled. The boy couldn't have been bigger than a ten year old.

The elevator made a noise to announce the arrival of the requested floor and the silver doors opened to reveal a very large and elegant hallway. Harry motioned for the neko to follow him down the hall to the double doors that led to his office suite.

"Where are we?" Peter repeated, holding the hem of his savior's t-shirt in his tiny fist.

"My office." Harry answered, opening the doors and revealing his suite. Peter's eyes lit up like Christmas trees as they darted from wall to wall. The room was oversized for Harry; he couldn't imagine how big it must have seemed to the boy. It was more like a penthouse than an office at all.

Harry led him into the bathroom and told him to stand still while he got the first aid kit. There was a box beneath his cabinet that had everything he would need to stitch up the boy's head, but he was no doctor. Not to mention he had no idea how much damage the men had caused to the rest of the boy's body.

"Take your clothes off." Harry told the boy as he dug under the sink. Peter fidgeted uncomfortably, and Harry noticed this out of his peripheral vision.

"What?"

"I don't want to." Peter murmured, staring at the tile floor. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I can't help you if I can't see what's wrong with you. You're dirty, kid. I'm just going to get you cleaned up so I can fix your wounds. If those cuts get infected it's going to hurt twice as much." Harry stood up and leaned back, waiting for the boy's response.

The neko's ears flattened to the top of his head and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"O-okay." Peter slipped out of his clothes and dropped them to the ground, standing completely nude in front of the millionaire. Harry avoided direct eye contact with the boy, not wanting to make him more nervous than he was. He began to dig into his first aid kit.

"You don't have a home?" He asked, assuming so since Peter was out by himself on the New York streets. The small boy shook his head quickly.

"I was staying with my friend for a while." he mumbled, dragging his foot across the ground.

"What happened?"

"He was hit by a car."

"Oh." Harry tried to look surprised and distraught by the statement. The truth was, it hardly mattered to him. The only neko that mattered was the one sitting in front of him, bleeding on his bathroom tile. "Why don't you take a seat on the edge of the tub?"

Peter did as he was asked, sitting on the edge of the tub and curling his fluffy brown tail around his waist to cover his manhood. Harry sat on his knees in front of the boy, coming to his eye level to examine him.

"It doesn't look like anything is broken." He said, lifting Peter's arms and moving them at their joints. "There's some pretty bad contusions though. These cuts are pretty old, too. You need to take better care of yourself."

"I don't know how." Peter shrugged, looking disappointed in himself. "I'm trying, I really am, but everywhere I go people just kick me or spit on me."

That was probably the most depressing thing that Harry had heard all week. He leaned over into the tub, turning on the faucet and adjusting the knobs carefully.

"The back of your head is going to need stitches." Harry told him firmly, avoiding the serious conversation that Peter had almost started. It wasn't his fault that nekos were treated like shit. "Once I do that, you're going to clean up. I guess I'll make a bed for you on the couch or something."

Peter's little ears seemed to prick up at this, and his eyes glistened with hope.

"You're going to let me stay here?" His voice trembled as if he couldn't believe his feline ears. Harry pulled the needle and thread out of the first aid kit and looked back at him.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. It's just for the night." He couldn't confuse the kid into thinking that he was going to have some kind of home in his office at Oscorp. It wasn't even his own home, but being the middle of the night, it made more sense to let the boy stay than to throw him back on the streets.

"Thank you, Harry…" Peter tried to hide his disappointment, but Harry could hear it in his voice.

Ten minutes later, Peter's head had been stitched up and Harry had gotten him two extra-strength tylenol, uncertain of what else he was able to give such a small boy. The bathtub was full of bubbles and the neko boy was sitting among them, making small splashes in the water and spreading the bubbles across his bruised body. Harry watched with amusement for a moment before leaving the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind him.

The clock read one-thirty in the morning. It was no wonder that Harry felt sleep tugging at his eyes. The young millionaire sunk down onto the couch and rubbed his eyelids, hoping to wipe the sleep away. Within seconds, he had begun to doze off.

He was awoken with a jolt when he heard the bathroom door opening. Harry leapt to his feet and looked to the neko in the doorway, wrapped tightly in a large fuzzy towel.

"Harry? Could I borrow something to sleep in?" Peter asked quietly, looking down at his bare feet. "My clothes are really dirty…"

"Yeah, yeah." Harry shook his head and crossed over to his dresser, digging through the drawers in search for something that might fit the neko boy. He was disappointed in himself for dozing off instead of making a place for Peter to sleep. "Here." Harry pulled out a t-shirt and tossed it to the boy as well as a pair of boxer shorts. "You can keep those, I have enough clothes in my own closet."

Peter picked up the clothes that had landed on the ground in front of him.

"You don't live here?"

"I told you, this is my office." Harry said, slightly irritated now. "Stop talking and put those on." He went into a linen closet and pulled out a blanket and pillow, specifically kept for the late night hours that Harry would often spend in the office. He made the couch into a comfortable looking bed for the neko, pulling back the blanket for him. To his surprise, Peter climbed right into the bed and set his head on the pillow, letting out a sigh. Harry covered him with the blanket.

"There's food in the fridge if you get hungry." He told him, walking over to turn off the light. "Just try not to wake me up." After taking his blood-stained shirt off, Harry fell down onto the other couch across the room, not bothering to reach for a pillow or anything.

Through the darkness of the office, he could hear the neko adjusting and getting comfortable. When it was finally silent Peter quietly spoke,

"Goodnight Harry."

At first, Harry thought he was too exhausted to respond. Saving the neko boy had used a lot of adrenaline. But before he could fade off to sleep, he turned onto his opposite side, facing away from the boy. With his eyes still closed, Harry mumbled,

"Goodnight, Peter."

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**What do you think? Is Harry going to soften up to little Peter? Is he going to give in and let him stay, or throw him back on the streets? Maybe Harry needs a friend just as much as Peter does? Do you want to see more? Anyone who reviews gets a virtual spider-man shaped cookie! :D **


	2. Day 2

**Hello everyone! I want to give a big thank you to the lovelies that have followed and reviewed this story (ixluvxprinny, dracoginnyscorpiuswood, Claire, Crystalicy Tears, m4rionette3, and Liana)! *throws numerous spider-man shaped cookies at all of you* Here is the second installment of Perks of Being A Businessman! Enjoy! - fuchsia light**

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**Day 2**

When Harry awoke the next morning, he was both surprised and alarmed by the distinct and pungent smell of something burning. For a moment he thought he may still be dreaming, reminding himself that he was alone in the suite and that it was impossible for the entire Oscorp skyscraper to be on fire (it was too high tech for that). Then, with a skip of his heart beat, he remembered: he wasn't alone. Just hours before, he had let a stray neko boy into his office. His cerulean blue eyes shot open and Harry jumped to his feet, walking quickly towards the kitchen.

Luckily, there was neither fire nor smoke in sight. However, the was disappointed by the unsettling image of Peter sitting on the counter with what looked like a plate of charcoal on his lap. The poor boy was attempting to spread butter onto his burnt toast, as if it would save the flavor or soften the bread. Harry felt guilty. He _had _told the boy not to wake him that morning.

"Peter…" Harry began in a scolding sort of tone, standing in the doorway and letting out a very long and uneasy sigh. The neko turned to look at him with large brown eyes, dropping the butter knife to the ground with a clatter.

"Goodmorning Harry! I made breakfast!" he announced, as if he was proud of his taste-less concoction. Harry rubbed his forehead, feeling as if it was far too early to be dealing with such nonsense. Peter lifted the crumbling slab of charcoal to his mouth and the young millionaire had to hurry over and swipe it out of his hand before he could take a bite.

"Trust me, you don't want to eat that and neither do I." He muttered, dropping the toast straight into the trash bin. "Get off the counter, that's unsanitary."

Peter pushed himself off of the counter and landed nicely on his bare feet with a quiet thud. He looked slightly disappointed, as if he had hoped his new friend would have been more accepting of his breakfast proposal.

"Don't worry." Harry said, placing his hand down on the top of the boy's head and giving it a quick pat. When he pulled his hand away, Peter's wild hair stuck out in several directions, all of them nearly vertical to his head. "We'll have something much better for breakfast, I promise."

Harry Osborn had a very strict code of law regarding promises. He had never broken a promise in his life and he never planned on it, which is why he was very particular with the words he used when he made such promises. Promising Peter a delicious breakfast was easy because he knew it was easily achievable. Now, had he promised Peter a gourmet six-course breakfast cooked solely by a staff of five-star chefs, the situation would have been different. Harry never promised more than he could handle, but he was certain that he could handle that much.

Surely enough, just fifteen short minutes later, there was a quick knock on the large wooden doors that led into the Osborn office. Harry was quick to answer it, especially after seeing the state of hunger that the neko boy was in.

"Will this be all Mr. Osborn?" the young assistant asked, wheeling the cart full of breakfast delicacies into the office.

"Yes, Felicia. Thank you." Harry answered coolly, watching her exit the room just as quickly as she had entered it. He left the tray standing idle in the middle of the room, turning his attention back to the feline boy sitting on the sofa. "Viola."

Peter hurried over to his side, gawking at the beautiful assortment of fruits, biscuits, pancakes, and yogurts that lined the tray. Although Harry had never asked for room service before, he was clear to his assistant that this breakfast was not for him alone. However, he wasn't about to reveal the identity of his mysterious guest either.

The neko began to eat directly from the cart, sucking on strawberries and popping pieces of waffle into his tiny mouth. Harry was undoubtedly fascinated by the way he ate, rapidly yet politely, and never biting more than he could chew. He would lick the maple syrup off of his lips and wipe berry juice from his chin with the back of his hand. Most importantly, he didn't stop eating until he had taken a bite out of every option on the cart, filling his stomach with every breakfast cuisine he could manage. The young prodigy wondered how long Peter had been on his own in the streets of New York City, and how he had survived at all.

Harry sat in the large swivel chair behind his desk and rested his chin in his hand. There were bags under his eyes from sleepless nights he had endured recently and even though his head screamed at him to go back to sleep, he couldn't shake the feeling that leaving Peter to wander around his office was probably not a wise idea. He decided that the few hours of sleep he had gotten that morning would have to be sufficient for the day.

"I've never been so full in my life." Peter abandoned the food cart, climbing onto the couch and laying on his back. One of his arms hung limply off the side of the sofa, along with his chestnut brown tail. Harry had a hard time not staring at it.

"How is your head?" Harry asked, shuffling a few papers on his desk. Peter turned to his side, looking at him with large eyes. He felt like a therapist, speaking to this kid who was laying on the couch in his office.

"It still hurts." He pouted, sticking his lower lip out pitifully.

"It will for a while." Harry mumbled, taking out a new manilla folder from his file cabinet and reading the information inside. The contents told him that he would have several important meetings today, along with a conference and an interview. The life of a young CEO was constantly cruel, leaving him little time to himself or in this case, for anyone else.

"It's probably best if you go home now, Peter." He said, staring at the words on his papers instead of daring to see the boy's heartbroken expression. There was a long pause until finally the neko spoke up.

"Oh... yeah, wow, look at the time." He sounded completely unsurprised. "Well...uh, thank you for everything, I guess."

Harry reminded himself that he couldn't feel pity for the kid. He had saved his life, given him a place to spend the night and fed him until he was full- what else did he owe to the feline boy?

"I've got a lot of business to attend to today." Harry continued on, still not glancing past the top of his paper. "When you go into the hall, take the elevator and ask for the ground floor. If anyone asks, tell them you were with Harry Osborn."

Peter's ears drooped sadly and he got up from the sofa, picking up the clothes that he had worn the previous night and gripping them in his arms. The neko looked disappointed that his savior had not allowed him to stay longer, but he did as he was advised and headed for the doors.

"Oh, and Peter?" The young man called from his desk. Peter whipped around excitedly, hoping he had changed his mind.

"Don't get stepped on." Harry added with a devilish smirk. Peter's ears flattened once more and he shuffled out of the room without another word.

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"Mr. Osborn, please consider the circumstances. You're not even of legal age yet and this is a multi-billion dollar company. Don't you think that the general public-"

"I can count, thank you. If you feel the need to remind me of my age one more time, you can leave." Harry interrupted the man from the head of the table, folding his hands elegantly beneath his chin. "As for the general public, I'm sure they'd prefer the true Oscorp heir in control of the company rather than some rich bit asshole who wants a new Mercedes in his driveway. We've discussed this. I know what's best for Oscorp. I'm not stepping down." Harry leaned back in the chair, kicking his feet up onto the edge of the glass table. "Anything else?"

Silence drowned the room from the several men in business suits who lined the long negotiation table. Harry removed his boots from the table and straightened up.

"Well if that's all-"

"Mr. Osborn, sir." Harry was interrupted by an older gentleman from the end of the table. "Forgive me, but there is another issue that we… as a company, feel necessary to mention."

Harry blinked, nodding him to go on.

"Well, the disease that eventually led to Norman's death, we understand that it is a hereditary illness." He said, sounding as if he was about to choke. Harry sighed loudly, but motioned for him to continue. "We feel as precautionary measures should be taken, sir… to see what stage of the virus your body carries… and to secure the sake of the company."

The young CEO stood up loudly, knocking the chair backwards as he did so. The man who had spoken shuddered visibly, and the eyes of the other men immediately turned away from their new boss.

"Let me get this straight." Harry began, strolling past the table in a way that could only be considered intimidating. "You think that the virus that debilitated my father is lurking in my bloodstream somewhere, ready to kill me without warning?" He stopped behind the chair of the man who had spoken, resting his long slender fingers on the back of his chair. "My father lived with that virus until he was well into his sixties." He reminded them, starting to tap his fingers rhythmically. "And as I am _sure _you've noticed, I am not even of legal age yet." Harry spoke cleverly, quoting the man who had previously spoken. "Even if my body did hold some form of the virus, what are the chances that it would kill me faster than it did my old man?"

Harry pulled away from the man's chair and headed back towards his own seat, satisfied with the fear he had instilled in the men at his table.

"When the time comes, _I_ will choose a successor to _my _company. Until then, you all work for me, so get yourselves together and get back to work. This meeting is over."

The young Osborn gathered his folders and swiftly left the room full of uncomfortable men, allowing the door to shut rather loudly behind himself. The watch on his wrist read eight o'clock, reminding him that the building would be closing within the hour.

_Maybe I'll finally get some sleep, _he thought to himself. The number of meetings he had endured that day had put him in a sour mood.

Harry opened the double doors to his office suite. There was no need to turn on the overhead lights because the natural glow of New York City from the large windows was enough to guide him to his desk. The sun had just disappeared over the skyline and after a day of listening to grown men complaining about his new position as CEO, Harry had never felt so exhausted. He swiped the keys to his BMW coupe off the edge of the desk and was just about to head back to the door when something caught his eye.

A large lump was inconspicuously lying beneath the afghan on his couch. The young man held his breath and crossed over to the sofa, grabbing the fabric in his hand and yanking it away. He had expected the culprit before he revealed him.

"Peter!" Harry snapped, sounding incredibly annoyed.

"Harry!" Peter exclaimed with excitement, as if they had been playing a game of hide-and-seek.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" The young Osborn dropped the blanket on the ground and crossed his arms. "I told you to go home!"

"But see, that's the problem." Peter frowned, getting up off of the couch and standing shamefully in front of the taller man. "I don't have a home, so there was nowhere for me to go."

Harry groaned and ran his hand through his hair.

"It was a figure of speech, Peter. Jesus… You can't stay here. I'm leaving for the night and the last time I left you to yourself, you nearly burned my kitchen down."

"Then take me with you!" Peter clapped his hands together. "I'll go home with you!"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"How about because I don't want to be responsible for anything else happening to you? Is that a good enough answer?" Harry grabbed his jacket off of the coat hook and opened the door. "Out. Now."

"Haaarry," Peter whined, "I won't be any problem, I promise. It's really cold outside." The neko stuck his lower lip out in another irresistible pout. "I could freeze to death."

"You're not going to freeze to death." Harry grumbled, grabbing the back of the boy's shirt and tugging him out of the room. He stood on the outside of the doors and pulled them shut, locking them with a key from his belt. "How did you get in there, anyway?"

"You left the door unlocked." Peter smiled, skipping alongside the young man just to keep up with his larger strides. Harry consciously reminded himself to keep his office locked when he left from now on. "Are we going back to your house now, Harry?"

"No. _I'm_ going back to my house. _You_ are going wherever you were staying before last night." The young Osborn led the way towards the elevator with the neko following him close behind. When the doors slid open, they were both surprised to see three other people in the elevator, waiting to leave for the day. Harry stepped in and stood towards the front of them, and Peter stood close to Harry's leg. When the doors slid shut, one of the other employees in the elevator coughed uncomfortably.

"What floor, please?" asked the automatic voice in the elevator.

"Garage, second floor." Harry said calmly.

"Thank you."

The elevator was silent except for the eerie piano music that played in the background. It stopped twice to let two of the other businessmen out, but by the time the elevator stopped on the garage floor, there was still an older woman standing in the corner.

Peter glanced back at her when he felt eyes staring into the back of his head.

"Are those real?" the lady asked quietly. Harry's teeth clenched together although he wasn't sure why. The neko boy smiled and nodded his head politely.

"Yep, they sure are!"

"Wow, I've never seen one in real life!" The woman sounded amused, and in the reflection of the elevator doors, Harry watched her crouch down to Peter's height. "Is he yours?"

It took a moment for Harry to realize that the lady was talking to him now. He cleared his throat and glanced down at them, eyeing her as she rubbed Peter's ears. Peter closed his eyes in some sort of satisfaction.

"Yes, and I would appreciate if you didn't touch him." The young Osborn snapped, just as the elevator doors opened for his destination. He put his hand on Peter's shoulder, guiding him out of the elevator and down the row of cars. The chilliness of the parking garage forced him to zip up his jacket.

"What was that?" Peter questioned slyly as they walked side by side.

"Hm? What?" Harry sounded uninterested.

"You told that lady that I was your neko." Peter continued, grabbing onto Harry's sleeve and forcing him to stop walking. Harry rolled his eyes.

"It's rude to poke at people like she was." he defended himself.

"So I'm not your neko?" Peter scrunched his brow.

"No. Not in the slightest."

"I'd like to be your neko."

"Too bad." Harry yanked his arm away and started walking again. The neko followed.

"Am I your _friend_?" Peter continued to inquire, stuffing his hands under his armpits to keep them warm in the frosty air.

"No. For God's sake, would you leave me alone?"

"I think you're wrong." The neko smiled cheerfully, despite Harry's bitter attitude. "I think we are friends."

"Think whatever you want, just stop talking." Harry stopped beside a sleek avus blue BMW that was parked in a reserved parking place.

"Is this your car?"

"No, I'm stealing it." Harry muttered sarcastically, unlocking it with the key in his hand.

"It's nice."

"You know what would be nice? If you left me alone." Harry got into his car and slammed the door shut, turning the key in the ignition. He was aware of Peter standing to the side of the vehicle, and he was careful not to hit him as he backed out of the parking spot and started speeding down the slope of vehicles.

Halfway up the ramp, the young Osborn made the mistake of glancing in his rear view mirror. One look at the pitiful neko boy standing by himself in the path of his exhaust fumes was enough to slam his foot on the brake. His car screeched loudly to a stop and he hit both of his hands on the top of the steering wheel.

"Goddammit." Harry threw the car in reverse and sped backwards until he stopped directly next to the boy, then rolled down his tinted window. "Get in the car before I change my mind."

Peter's eyes lit up and he ran to the opposite side of the vehicle, climbing into the passenger seat and buckling his seatbelt.

"Thank you, Harry!"

"Shut up."

* * *

Harry pulled up to the elegant gate which closed off the Osborn Estate from the rest of the gated community. Although there were only few other mansions in the community, they were all separated by their own gates and the fences which lined their seemingly infinite property. The Osborn mansion was the largest of them all, tucked about a mile back into the woods. The house itself sat in a long stretch of clearing lined with blooming flowers and gardening. It was a massive five-story home, complete with full balconies, towers, and a four-car garage. It was as if the Osborn Estate was some sort of sanctuary on the outskirts of New York City, tucked away and private from the bustling city.

"What's this gate here for?" Peter asked curiously, watching Harry reach his arm out the window and scan his handprint on a box that protruded from the gate.

"To keep people out of my house, I guess." As the gate opened, Harry zoomed up the winding driveway.

"Does that mean you can't order pizza?" Peter asked softly. The young Osborn chuckled, but did not answer.

Since the sun had gone down, the only lights came from the front porch and from inside the garage. Harry slowly wheeled the car inside, pressing a button to have the door close automatically behind him. He shut the car off, and both of them hopped out.

"Are all of these your cars?" the neko peeked down the line of sporty vehicles that glistened in the fluorescent lights above. Although he was no expert on vehicles, Peter could recognize that the cars in this garage were all very expensive and nice. To the far wall sat a cherry red Challenger, and next to it sat a white Corvette. The car closest to him was a modified black Honda Civic with an exhaust pipe larger than Peter's head. Harry locked the BMW and hung the keys on the wall near the door.

"They are now." He grumbled, opening the glass door and letting Peter walk into the house in front of him.

"This place is huge." Peter mouthed, shuffling his bare feet into the hallway. He looked up at the young man with wide eyes. "You must be the richest man in the world." Again, the neko's words made him laugh under his breath. The boy was right, as of right now, even with all the extravagant costs for his father's funeral, he had more money than he knew what to do with. Then Peter continued, "Do you think your family is going to care if I'm here?"

Harry chortled.

"Maybe they would, if they were alive."

Peter's ears went flat and he stopped walking.

"I-I didn't know, I'm sorry..."

"Don't be." Harry walked past the neko and led the way down the hallway and into a large foyer.

"You live here all by yourself then?" Peter cooed.

"There are a few maids that come in every once and a while, but for the most part, yes. I'll give you the tour tomorrow." His eyes were still heavy from the insomnia he had lately been suffering from. "There are dozens of guest rooms upstairs, you can find one that suits yourself."

The young Osborn started heading up a large spiral staircase, leaving Peter standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Harry…?" He called uncomfortably. The young man stopped, turning his head with a look of irritation. "Big places like this… they kind of scare me, you know?" Peter shuffled his feet nervously. "Can I maybe, sleep in your room with you?"

"You've got to be kidding me." Harry continued up the stairs, walking a little more loudly than before. Peter wasn't sure what that meant, but he followed Harry up the stairs anyway.

"Not in your bed, just maybe on the floor or something-" he blurted out quickly, nearly bumping into the back of Harry's legs when he suddenly stopped walking.

"Fine. But if you so much as sneeze, you're out. I have a hard enough time trying to sleep in this place."

Harry walked into a large bedroom with a king-sized bed and a flat screen TV mounted on the wall. Although it was not equipped to be a master bedroom, it was big enough that it could be considered one. The young Osborn pulled his jacket off and threw it aside, as well as his shirt. Peter mimicked his movements, taking his shirt off as well and taking a seat on the armchair that sat in the corner of the room.

"I like your room." Peter piped quietly.

"I'd like for you to be quiet." Harry said under his breath, changing into a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and climbing into his bed.

"Thanks for letting me sleep in here." The neko continued in attempts to lighten the situation.

"Thanks for not talking." he responded.

"You're sort of a grumpy person, you know that?" Harry could almost hear the smile on Peter's lips. "Are you always this grumpy?"

"_Goodnight, _Peter." Harry turned off his bedside lamp, cloaking the bedroom in darkness. Peter shuffled around in the armchair, causing it to creak several times as he got comfortable. "_Peter!_" Harry whispered loudly.

"Sorry."

* * *

**How'd you like it? Let me know in the reviews! How long will Harry be able to put up with Peter's energy? Will he decide to let Peter stay with him forever? Could this be the start of a beautiful friendship? Stay tuned for the next chapter! 3 **


	3. Day 3

**Thanks for the reviews! Sorry this took so long to update, I was on vacation last week! But at long last, here is the next chapter. Review if you like it! Virtual spider-man cookies for those that do!**

**Also, let me know in the reviews if you would like to see future (m-rated) chapters! (Yes, they're going to hook up eventually... be patient!) **

**With love, fuchsia light.**

* * *

**Day 3**

Harry hadn't had a decent night of sleep since his father died and he was thrown the responsibility of holding together a billion dollar research company. He was no Atlas, he reminded himself. He couldn't hold the world on his shoulders. Each night, he was awoken by nightmares, chills, sweat, or his own conscience. It was a terrible way to live and he was growing weak because of it. How long could Oscorp survive when its heir was so sleep deprived that he couldn't walk straight in the mornings?

Harry forced his eyes open and gazed around the room. It was still pitch black, except for the bold green numbers on his bedside clock. 4:32AM. The young man groaned and rubbed his eyes angrily, knowing he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep.

Across the room, he could hear the breathing of the neko boy, obviously in a deep slumber. Harry was jealous.

It wasn't fair that this kid, a neko at that, was able to sleep soundly at night when he, a nearly legal adult, was reduced to pacing the house in the wee hours of the morning. Harry stood up and walked into the bathroom, splashing water on his face to cool himself down. Gazing at his reflection, he saw two bloodshot eyes peering back at him, asking him why the hell he couldn't sleep for more than one or two hours a night.

Harry left the bathroom and walked downstairs, leaving the boy snoring in his bedroom behind a closed door.

Often he found himself wandering the house when he couldn't sleep. There were plenty of rooms to relax in, but all of them had a hint of sadness or signs of isolation. His father had lived in this mansion his entire life by himself, until he was too weak to stand and had to have a staff of well-paid doctors and nurses to tend to him hourly. Harry hadn't seen his father since he was eleven years old; the same day that Norman sent his only son to boarding school across the planet. Ten years later, a letter arrives at his home in France and tells him that his father was on his death bed.

The very last time that Harry Osborn saw his father, he was laying in a king-sized bed in the master bedroom at the end of the hallway on the third floor. A room that Harry hadn't peeked inside since.

Besides handing over the company and assets to his son, the only thing Norman gave to him was his complete disappointment. As if it had been _Harry's _fault that he had lived abroad his whole life. As if it was _Harry's _fault that he grew up without parents. As if _Harry _was supposed to save him from his own disease.

Now Harry Osborn was standing in front of the very same door that he had hesitantly opened on the last day he laid eyes on his father. Somehow his pacing had lead him there, in front of the one door he promised himself he would never enter again.

His hand reached out slowly to grasp the handle. It was long and elegant, unlike any of the other doorknobs in the house. There were pearls engraved into the gold handle which seemed to perfectly fit the curves of his hand. The air was caught in Harry's lungs. One turn of his wrist and he would be inside his father's room. One door separated him from the place Norman Osborn took his last breath.

"Harry?"

The young man nearly jumped out of his skin and released the door handle so quickly that it appeared he had been burned. Turning on his heels and panting from fear, Harry stared down at Peter.

"W-what are you doing?" He demanded in a shaky voice. "I thought you were sleeping."

"I heard you get up." The neko answered with a goofy smile. "At first I thought you were just getting a drink. But then you didn't come back and I thought you might have left for good." There was a weird look on Peter's face that Harry could only describe as confusion.

"But then I came down the hallway and watched you staring at this door for like ten minutes... are you okay?"

_Ten minutes? _

It had only seemed like a few seconds that he faced the fears of that door. Had he really been debating on entering for that long?

"I'm fine." he finally answered, rubbing his temples. "Go back to sleep, Peter." His head was hurting furiously and the presence of the boy wasn't helping. The hallway had begun to spin.

"You don't look so good." Peter commented, taking a step towards the older man. "Maybe you should sit down."

Harry grabbed onto the wall to keep from falling. It felt like he was standing on the ceiling and gravity was pulling him down to the ground. Gasping, his knees buckled and he fell with his back against the door.

"Harry? Are you okay? Should I call someone?" Peter began to speak more frantically, unsure of how to help his older companion. Harry didn't answer, but there were unexplainable tears streaming down his cheeks.

He felt Peter's tiny hands desperately shaking his arm, and then everything went black.

* * *

Harry Osborn awoke in an unfamiliar place. There were blinding fluorescent lights obscuring his vision and for a split second, he wondered if he was dead. There was a muffled sound in the distance that sounded like shuffling feet and hushed voices. Beyond that, there was an annoying beeping sound every fifteen seconds. After blinking several times, he realized he wasn't in some kind of afterlife- he was in a hospital.

His eyes shot open and he jolted up into a sitting position, feeling something tug roughly at his arm. Blood dripped down his forearm from the IV that he had just ripped from his elbow. Harry wasted no time, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and standing up.

"How the hell did I get here?" he wondered out loud, grabbing his clothes from the chair beside him. The hospital gown he was wearing was uncomfortable and exposed his backside in a way no one should be comfortable with. He had managed to yank his pants on before he was interrupted.

"Mr. Osborn!" A female voice had called from the open doorway. "Thank goodness,you're finally awake."

"Felicia?" Harry finished removing the gown, staring at his assistant dumbfoundedly. "What's going on here?"

"You don't remember?" The dark haired girl walked in, standing in front of him with a concerned frown. "You collapsed last night. The doctors are saying you had a severe anxiety attack and your body went into shock."

_An anxiety attack? Me? _

"How did I get here?" he demanded, tugging his shirt over his head.

"Well… your neko called me. He said you were acting strangely and fell down in the hallway." Felicia explained quietly. "By the time I got there, your heart beat was out of control. It's a wonder you didn't have a heart attack."

_So she knows about Peter._

"Peter isn't my neko." Harry told her quickly.

"Peter may have saved your life." she emphasized, smiling at him. "Who knows what could have happened if we didn't get you here when we did. Your immune system is so weak, it's a wonder you didn't collapse sooner. When is the last time you had a decent night of sleep, Mr. Osborn?"

The young man shook his head defiantly, refusing to answer her question. If it was true that Peter had saved his life, the boy deserved a proper thank you.

"Who else knows?" he asked suddenly, slipping on his shoes. If the rest of the company knew that he had been in the hospital for _anxiety _of all things, he could lose his position as CEO in a heartbeat. This was exactly the kind of excuse they were looking for to take his position away.

"Just me. Your neko is very intelligent, Mr. Osborn. He knew that if he called anyone else, the public would be all over it."

Harry sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, heading for the door.

"I feel fine now. Where is he?"

"Peter is in the waiting lounge. You should stay until the doctor can check on you." she advised him.

"I don't need anyone to _check on me._" he sneered, wiping down his arm with a paper towel from the sink.

Felicia knew Harry was too stubborn to keep in the room. She followed him out into the hallway.

"You never mentioned having a neko, Mr. Osborn." she began quietly.

"He's _not _my neko." Harry corrected her sharply, quickening his pace. He was anxious to see the little furry-eared fellow who had saved him from his own stupidity. _An anxiety attack. How pathetic can I get?_

The young Osborn burst into the waiting room. The room was otherwise empty except for the neko boy. Peter was sitting on the floor, staring down at a National Geographic magazine.

"Peter." Harry caught the boy's attention and watched his ears perk up on the top of his head.

"Harry!" The neko shouted, hurrying over and throwing his arms around him excitedly. "You're okay!" The young man set his hand down on the top of his head and patted it affectionately while Felicia looked on with a smile. Suddenly the young CEO felt extremely self conscious being observed by his assistant.

"How long was I out?" he asked, looking at the clock on the wall for the first time. There was sunlight beaming in through the single window in the waiting room, but he was unsure what time of the day it was. It was almost noon.

"Just a few hours." Peter told him, releasing Harry's legs from his grasp. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Sort of." Harry sighed, glancing in the direction of the sign in desk, where he would need to sign out as a patient. "I'm late for my meeting..."

"Don't worry about that." Felicia piped in. "I postponed your nine o'clock meeting for next week. You've got the day off." She dug into her purse and revealed a set of car keys. "I'll drive you home now, if you'd like."

Harry nodded to her appreciatively.

"Let me just sign out." He motioned for Peter to follow him over to the counter while his assistant went out to start the car. "Thanks, kid."

"Huh?" Peter lifted his head and looked upwards at his friend, confused. Harry peered down at him out of his peripheral vision, taking the sign out sheet from the woman behind the desk.

"Thank you for calling Felicia." he clarified, signing his name in an elegant script at the bottom of the page. "You could have saved my life, and you managed to do it without throwing me to the press like a slab of raw meat. So thank you." Harry returned the clipboard and reached his hand out to Peter, who took it within a heartbeat.

"You're welcome." He grinned, squeezing his hand and walking with him towards the exit. "See, Harry? I knew we were friends." When the young Osborn looked down, the neko had a devious smirk on his face. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I never said that."

"You were thinking it!" Peter shouted, tightening the grip around his friend's fingers so yanking his hand away in frustration was not an option. "Admit it, you like me."

Standing outside the hospital doors, Harry stopped.

"I don't like you." he said cooly. "I put up with you. You managed to significantly help me, and for that I expressed my gratitude. What else do you want from me?"

Peter was quiet for a moment, looking disappointed. He loosened his grip on the taller man's hand and then let his arm fall limply against his side.

"I want to be your neko." he frowned.

Harry and Peter exchanged a long, serious stare. When the young man finally opened his mouth to decline, Felicia pulled the white Buick in front of the building and interrupted their pregnant silence with the sound of a rumbling engine.

"Let's go." Harry climbed into the passenger seat and immediately turned on the radio, saving himself from any further conversations. The small neko boy plopped down in the back seat, buckling his seatbelt and staring at the back of Harry's head with admiration the majority of the way home.

Peter knew that he had found the one place he belonged. That place was with Harry Osborn, and he wouldn't give up until Harry realized that as well.

* * *

_Peter didn't remember his parents. From the time he was six years old, the young neko was under the care of his aunt and uncle who lived on the outskirts of New York City. Anything before that was too much of a blur. _

_He knew that they weren't nekos. _

_His mother must have gotten a nasty shock when he popped out, tail and all. Most neko children were born from the intercourse of two nekos. If a human had unprotected sex with a neko, there was a fifty percent chance of the mother having a neko child. But nekos born from two human parents were extremely uncommon, caused by the original source of the epidemic. "The feline features were due to a strange chemical imbalance that resulted from several brands of birth control", the public was told. In reality, it was due to a strain of virus that had developed from a small group of ancestors who partook in beastiality, centuries ago. The truth seemed to be too "taboo" for the public eye, so instead they made up the hoax about hormones and medicinal side effects. Why the disfigurations were only showing up now was a curiosity to scientists across the world._

_Even still, his aunt had constantly reminded him that he looked very much like his father._

_Neither his aunt or uncle were nekos. When Peter's parents perished in a terrible accident, they were given the difficult responsibility of caring for a "disfigured" boy with very little chance for a future. Peter was always energetic and although he missed his parents, he viewed his aunt and uncle just as fondly._

_When he was thirteen, his uncle was killed by a petty robber on the street. Peter's aunt struggled with the loss of her husband and Peter struggled with the loss of his second father. Since Peter's uncle had been the sole provider for the family, they were unable to pay the bills. Soon after, the government repossessed their home and took anything of potential value- including Peter. _

_Sold under the table as most neko children were, Peter lived the next three years of his life with a man he wished he could forget._

_Now seventeen, the boy was free._

_Of course he had attempted to reunite with his aunt, but his childhood home was empty and there were no leads as to where she had gone. Peter had lived on the streets since then. There was one neko that he had happened to befriend on his quest for survival, but poor Wade Wilson had run into the street at the same time a truck roared past and died instantly. _

_Peter managed to take care of himself since then, but he was immensely thankful to Harry Osborn for saving him from those two intoxicated men. He had suffered enough bruises and contusions in his short life and he hoped that, with Harry's care, he would never have to feel those constant aches and pains again. There was something about the older man that Peter found addictive. The neko longed to lay close to him and inhale his comforting scent while feeling safe and protected in his arms. Peter told himself that he would protect Harry as well. He would prove he could be the best neko he could possibly be, if only the young Osborn would allow him the chance._

* * *

"I told you, I don't need them." Harry shoved the bag of prescriptions back into Felicia's arms. "I've got enough of a schedule as it is. I'm not adding doses of... What did they give me? Antidepressants? Forget it." He turned his back on his assistant, walking into the front door of his house. "I'll see you at Oscorp tomorrow."

The young man left the front door open for the neko boy. However, Felicia put her hand on his shoulder and stopped him before he could disappear inside after the brooding businessman.

"Peter? Can I ask you something?" She crouched down to his height, rubbing his shoulder gently. The fuzzy-eared boy nodded his head, still seeming distraught over Harry's earlier reaction. "How did you know to call me?" Felicia asked, staring into Peter's dark eyes.

The neko rocked on his feet, looking shy.

"Well, I heard him say your name when you brought us breakfast yesterday." He began. "I knew you were his assistant and he seemed annoyed with the men who worked with him, so I thought you were the best to call."

Peter was obviously a very bright neko, Felicia realized. He had a very smart mind and although he was a child's size, she wondered how old he was mentally.

"How did you know my number?" She continued.

"I looked in his cell phone. Actually... I didn't know how to spell your name, but there was a little picture of you so-"

"Hold on." Felicia interrupted him, pulling her hand away. "Do you mean you don't know how to read?"

Peter timidly shrugged his shoulders.

"I know some easy words. But I never went to school or anything, you know? I only know what May taught me."

Harry's assistant leaned back with a small smile.

"Who's May?"

"Oh she's my aunt." Peter quickly explained. Felicia was smiling, but she seemed hesitant to continue.

"Where is your aunt now?" she asked.

Peter shrugged.

"Dunno. I haven't seen her in a long time. Not since the bad men took me away."

Felicia's smile faded and she wrapped her arms around the neko in a quick hug, which Peter kindly returned.

"How long have you known Harry?" She pulled away from their embrace.

"Just a little while. But I know he's a good person." Peter grinned. "Even though he tries to act mean, I know he's good inside. He saved me from two men on the street and he helped me when I was hurt. He's my friend now."

The genuine tone of Peter's voice told Felicia that he meant every word he was saying.

"Then you know just how stubborn he is." She laughed, holding out the bag of prescriptions to the boy. "Will you do me a favor? Will you take these inside for me and leave them on the counter for him? He doesn't want to take them, but you and I know that it's better for him if he does... right?"

Peter took the bag and nodded excitedly.

"Right!"

"Good boy." Felicia patted the top of his wild hair. "You take care of him now, you hear? I can only watch him at the office, but he really needs someone like you to look after him here. Can you do that?"

"Mhm!" Peter looked proud of himself, like he was accepting a dangerous mission.

"You call me if anything happens." Felicia stood up and started heading back towards her Buick. Peter watched her and waved as she pulled away, following Harry into the house at last.

The young businessman was standing in the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of red wine.

"What was that about?" He inquired, sipping the beverage elegantly. Peter set the bag of medicine on the kitchen table and sat down.

"I like Felicia. She's a nice lady."

"She is." Harry agreed. "What did she say?"

"To make sure you take your medicine. Can I have some?" He motioned towards the wine bottle, and Harry snorted.

"This isn't for children."

"I'm not a child." Peter argued. "I'm seventeen. That's almost an adult."

"Hate to tell you, but the drinking age is twenty-one. You're still too young." Harry took another sip, clearly rubbing his privileges in.

"Are _you _twenty-one?" The neko pestered, getting up from the table.

"Almost. But I have a special excuse."

"Which is?"

Harry slammed his fist down on the counter, startling the boy.

"I just had a life-threatening anxiety attack, I haven't slept more than five hours in the past week, I'm on the edge of losing my company, my father just died from a hereditary disease that might turn me into a vegetable and my life is being invaded by a talking cat who won't stop asking questions." Harry finished his glass and returned the bottle to the refrigerator. "Good enough?"

He had not realized that he had offended Peter with his words.

The neko's ears were down and his tail drooped between his legs. Before Harry had realized what he had done, Peter ran down the hallway, yanked open the front door, and went sprinting across the grounds. Surprised and confused, the young Osborn chased after him until the neko had disappeared into the dense tree line in the distance.

"Oh, fuck." Harry grumbled, rubbing his temples from the new headache that was beginning to set in.

* * *

**Uh oh! Peter's run off and is bound to get into some mischief. Harry has some serious health issues that he isn't addressing. Do you guys like Felicia as a character? Considering she's one of the few important people in Harry's life, I thought it would be relevant to add her in somewhere. Any predictions for the next chapter? Stay tuned for next time! :D**


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